Combating Food Insecurity in the Bolivian Andes

Dear Supporters,

Currently, two volunteers, Anja and Arthur, are on location for Aktion Sodis in Bolivia, getting a firsthand look at the progress of our projects, which we would like to report to you today. In our school garden project, the villagers noticed that it is too cool for some types of vegetables in the high altitudes of Micanis. Therefore, we decided to support the construction of greenhouses at a total of 10 out of the 16 village schools. After three greenhouses were built during a pilot phase in 2021, the construction continued in three additional villages with a slightly adjusted model in the fall of 2022. The village school teachers and parents are extremely grateful for the projects that have been implemented so far. They report that, thanks to the greenhouses, they have been able to significantly increase their harvest yields. In addition, the communities have been enabled to discover and grow new types of vegetables. Through the partner organization, they are supported with training and materials to improve their farming skills and help them grow a greater variety of vegetables. Our project will continue in 2023/2024. In May, the project was presented at four additional village schools. The teachers and parents are already looking forward to the construction and are currently preparing. They are preparing the terrain and pressing adobe bricks for the wall construction.

United for a Protein-Rich Diet – Support our new chicken coop project

We are also pleased to report about our new pilot project. All village schools are now successfully growing vegetables. Now, we want to take another important step and support the village schools in providing a more protein-rich diet for the students. To this end, chicken coops are being built at initially two village schools. This will enable the schools to keep chickens and use the eggs for the children's meals. This represents a sustainable source of high-quality protein and contributes to improving the nutrition situation in the communities. In May, the concept was presented and further developed in the two communities. The positive response from the parents and teachers present was impressive. A committee was immediately formed that is willing to actively support the project. The villagers recognize the importance of a balanced diet for the children and are looking forward to enabling them to have access to fresh eggs. In addition, the project provides a great learning opportunity for the students, as they take on responsibility for caring for the chickens and at the same time can gain important knowledge about animal husbandry and sustainability. For the continuation of project activities, we continue to rely on your support. With your donation, we can purchase the necessary material to build the chicken coops and ensure the implementation of regular workshops.

Thank you very much for your support!

Your Food Security Team